HOW GOOD WAS IT?

5/10

IN A FEW WORDS

This book covers a brief period of time during Belle’s stay at the Beast’s castle — the very first days when she still feels like a prisoner. And even though she is determined to keep her promise to stay and tries to make the best of her situation, Belle is miserable because she has lost her chance to go on an adventure like she’s always wanted.

During this time. The Beast reveals his… erm… softer side (?), and grows to care for Belle as well as his servants more.

After a surprise birthday party for Chip, an outing in the snow with chocolate biscuits (I think), an accident where the Beast made a bucket land on his head. Belle begins to feel like this castle can be her home after all. However, she still misses her father terribly.

One day, Belle finds an enchanted book in an aloof corner of the library and becomes fascinated with it. This book offers her a chance to step into the fictional world and live away from the castle and the Beast’s unpredictable temper. What Belle doesn’t know is that this business has been set up by the Goddess of Death in order to trap her forever and cause the Beast to lose his chance to break the spell before the last petal of the enchanted rose falls.

The story mainly focuses on Bells’s struggle to balance her desire to escape to this fictional world forever and her growing affection for the Beasts’ servants and the Beast himself.

SO…

Overall, Lost in a Book is an enjoyable read. It is straightforward enough and a great companion to the live-action film. Belle’s internal struggle, as well as the two sides of her obsession for books, are surprisingly interesting to follow.

The best things the book has to offer are: the bet set up by Love and Death about whether Beast and Belle can find their way towards each other, and Lucanos and Aranae, the spider and the beetle Belle befriends in the enchanted book.

BUT…

There are several problems throughout the book. The most prominent one is probably the Beast himself.

For someone who is said to not know how to love, he is uncharacteristically gentle and thoughtful at times. Other times, when he suddenly throws a tantrum, you cannot help but wonder why because whatever he’s angry about is not worth it at all.

In addition, it seems like his problem is having to keep the curse a secret from Belle, not that he must learn to love, which is the whole point of Beauty and the Beast.